while i respect that decision Razzles,it really does get going when you start getting higher levels,especially with exploration

How long does it take to get to the good stuff? I'm trying to give it a chance but still not feeling it. It's a little better with my latest start in Limsa Lominsa but I just don't feel the new MMO addiction that I have felt in almost every single major MMO I have played. Even MMOs I came to dislike (e.g. WoW which I played to level 40 before quitting), I still enjoyed the honeymoon period of discovering new things.

People keep saying there are so many things to do but it all boils down to kill X mobs whether it is a Fate or a Leve Quest or whatever. Trash quests are not worth reading, they just involve more killing X mobs or click on the shiny things on the ground X times. Other MMOs tend to disguise those tasks a little better but not in FF. When I did a PQ in GW2 or WAR, there was at least some context. Here the Fates (PQs) are just killing 30 mobs until boss mobs spawn (not sure if higher level Fates are different).

My theory is that I'm not "getting it" because I didn't play FF11. Is anyone enjoying this who never played FF11? It's one of those rare titles that I missed because I was on vacation at the time it came out and by the time I was back the hype had died down quickly.

I managed to find a copy in a Future Shop half hour drive away. But anyway, I haven't felt the honeymoon rush at all. Granted 2 days is barely enough time create a character. But in other games that grabbed me I got it almost immediately after getting my first quest.

Of course, now that Ive got the lid off the jam jar, I'll have to keep trying it to see if its a late bloomer.

But right now I feel like Im in a fantasy fair grounds. Im waiting for someone dressed up like Mickey Mouse to come and ask me if I want a picture with him hugging me.

while i respect that decision Razzles,it really does get going when you start getting higher levels,especially with exploration

How long does it take to get to the good stuff? I'm trying to give it a chance but still not feeling it. It's a little better with my latest start in Limsa Lominsa but I just don't feel the new MMO addiction that I have felt in almost every single major MMO I have played. Even MMOs I came to dislike (e.g. WoW which I played to level 40 before quitting), I still enjoyed the honeymoon period of discovering new things.

People keep saying there are so many things to do but it all boils down to kill X mobs whether it is a Fate or a Leve Quest or whatever. Trash quests are not worth reading, they just involve more killing X mobs or click on the shiny things on the ground X times. Other MMOs tend to disguise those tasks a little better but not in FF. When I did a PQ in GW2 or WAR, there was at least some context. Here the Fates (PQs) are just killing 30 mobs until boss mobs spawn (not sure if higher level Fates are different).

Might just not be for you. I've been captivated by the world right from the start, and have no problem with the fact that all the quests boil down to kill X or collect Y (isn't that every MMO?). Quests aren't SWTOR level of engaging with cutscenes for each one, but I think most of them are interesting and develop a great sense of lore throughout the world if you take the time to read them. If you're just running from quest marker to quest marker and skipping right through the text, then yes, it probably all feels very stale. I do agree with you on FATE's though...they're all quite mindless and dull.

That said, I came into the game a huge Final Fantasy fan, so the overall style, aesthetic, and unique FF tropes do a lot to draw me in. Without that connection, I'm sure it's not as interesting. Those with a low tolerance for JRPG elements (i.e. the "fantasy fair" factor Arclight mentions) will also probably not like it much. I also really like the flexible job system...being able to do everything on one character is a big plus in my book.

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My theory is that I'm not "getting it" because I didn't play FF11. Is anyone enjoying this who never played FF11?

I only spent a couple hours with FF 11, didn't like it at all. Certainly don't think enjoyment of one is tied to the other.

If you're just running from quest marker to quest marker and skipping right through the text, then yes, it probably all feels very stale.

Yeah this is what I'm doing. I tried reading the text but it is so poorly written most of the time. Also I'm guessing there is a problem in translation, the over use of condescending terms like "wench". I wouldn't give it a second though if I saw that in a game like Age of Conan but this is a cute and cuddly world that seems to be designed for kids. Dialog in single player FF games might not be like Planescape Torment, but I don't recall it being this silly either particularly if you look at some of the newer stuff like FF12.

If you're just running from quest marker to quest marker and skipping right through the text, then yes, it probably all feels very stale.

Yeah this is what I'm doing. I tried reading the text but it is so poorly written most of the time. Also I'm guessing there is a problem in translation, the over use of condescending terms like "wench". I wouldn't give it a second though if I saw that in a game like Age of Conan but this is a cute and cuddly world that seems to be designed for kids. Dialog in single player FF games might not be like Planescape Torment, but I don't recall it being this silly either particularly if you look at some of the newer stuff like FF12.

Huh. I think FF XIV's "Ye Olde English" style felt very similar to the dialog tone of most of the games set in Ivalice (at least FF XII and FF Tactics WotL...FF Tactics Advance doesn't count). Seen plenty of "shite", "arse", "whoreson", and other assorted colorful language in this one...hence the T rating.

Reviews are starting to roll in, and they're all very positive so far (87/100 on Metacritic). Ten Ton Hammer gave it very positive marks, saying that is doesn't really do anything new, but rather takes executes existing ideas to perfection (which is pretty much my opinion as well).

Glad to see them getting some positive feedback, as this really is a remarkable overhaul.

Huh. I think FF XIV's "Ye Olde English" style felt very similar to the dialog tone of most of the games set in Ivalice (at least FF XII and FF Tactics WotL...FF Tactics Advance doesn't count). Seen plenty of "shite", "arse", "whoreson", and other assorted colorful language in this one...hence the T rating.

Yeah, I had a quest tonight where I had to tote around some Cactus Piss (actual name).

I don't really see a problem either, but having played nearly every Final Fantasy game I've never been under the impression they were made for kids. This one fits right in with what I consider the "classic" Final Fantasy world.

I do, however, completely understand how this game wouldn't be for everybody. There are a LOT of FedEx and "Kill X" type quests, and the combat itself is not particularly exciting in the early levels (I think it opens up a bit more with cross-class skills, but it takes a significant time investment to get to that point).

Really I think most of my enjoyment just comes from being in the Final Fantasy world. I really love the series, and this is like a big never-ending one I can just run around in. I am glad it's getting good reviews because I was afraid critics may see the negative of it being "old school" vs the positives of how polished and beautiful it is.

-An auto-logout feature has been introduced wherein characters that are inactive for 30 minutes will be automatically logged out of the game.

The following adjustments and countermeasures have been implemented:

-Changes have been made to the behavior and mechanics of the enemies found within the “The Wanderer’s Palace” and “Amdapor Keep” dungeons to counteract instances of players running through the dungeon without engaging enemies on the way to bosses.As advancing through dungeons without defeating enemies is not an intended strategy, we plan to continue making further changes in the future to discourage this type of behavior.

-In instance dungeon “The Wanderer's Palace” and “Amdapor Keep”, we have increased the amount of AllaganCoins that can be obtained from a treasure chest.

-Reduced the amount of gil required for repair fees and materia removal as follows:

A temporary countermeasure has been implemented for the following issue:

-For the issue wherein the “Manor Sentries” found within the Haukke Manor dungeon could become stuck and prevent players from progressing through the instanced dungeon, we have changed the original location of “Manor Sentries” to the second floor.

The following issues have been addressed:

-The server would crash under certain conditions during instanced dungeons.-Characters would sometimes get stuck in the “Binding Coil of Bahamut” dungeon after the party was wiped out.-Bomb Boulders would sometimes fail to appear in “The Navel (Hard)” battle.-Certain monsters would sometimes get stuck in the “Amdapor Keep” dungeon.-The option to return to Home Point would not display when completing a primal battle while being KO’d.-The entry point for the “The Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak” dungeon was shown in the field in the “Stinging Back” guildhest.-The “Steel Reign” FATE would sometimes fail to appear.-Completing the “Behold Now Behemoth” FATE would sometimes cause the server to crash.-If the player was disconnected during the “Lady of the Vortex” instanced battle, the Duty List, Journal, and Journal Map may display incorrectly.-The “Notorious Biggs” quest could sometimes be progressed without completing the instanced battle.-There were occasions where it was impossible to target the snowman in the “Speak Softly to Me” quest.-The cutscene was canceled if the player was attacked during the “Lord of Crags” cutscene.-If a player logged out while being bound by duty within an instance, and logged back in after conclusion of the instance, the free company chat would not work.-Mog Letters were not sent properly in some instances.-Certain conditions would sometimes cause the server to crash while interacting with the free company “Company Chest”. -The “Reach” gauge was sometimes not selectable when in a new, unknown gathering point.-In some instances, the specified items to collect were incorrect in the “A Relic Reborn” quest.-In some instances, the specified enemies to defeat were incorrect in the “A Relic Reborn” quest.

Reduced the amount of gil required for repair fees and materia removal as follows:

didn't seem that bad to begin with for repairs.

It wasn't bad leveling up...the problem was you would actually lose money just from leveling and repairs once you got in the upper 30s and on. Item durability is actually based on xp gained and not so much from dying or fighting.

Reduced the amount of gil required for repair fees and materia removal as follows:

didn't seem that bad to begin with for repairs.

It was more or less for end game. This is one of the only games you will see where it is easier to make money during the story missions than it is during end game. People that don't craft had no real income and gear cost 500 gil apiece to repair from broken (that's about 5k for a full set of broken level 50 gear)

[EU] Regarding RMT Advertisements (Sep. 12)Having confirmed in-game advertisements for RMT* sites, we have taken the following actions to address this issue.*RMT (Real Money Trade) is selling account or game data with actual currency in the real world.

In addition to chat filters, we will continue to address RMT activity through cooperation with our GM teams and STF (Special Task Force). When you see an RMT advertisement, please file a report by using the in-game command [System Menu] -> [Support Desk] -> [Contact Us] -> [Report Cheating].

Reduced the amount of gil required for repair fees and materia removal as follows:

didn't seem that bad to begin with for repairs.

It was more or less for end game. This is one of the only games you will see where it is easier to make money during the story missions than it is during end game. People that don't craft had no real income and gear cost 500 gil apiece to repair from broken (that's about 5k for a full set of broken level 50 gear)

in other words get crafting

Logged

Because I can,also because I don't care what you want.XBL: OriginalCeeKayWii U: CeeKay

I love how this game keeps me constantly busy. Tonight I finished the Marauder line tonight, ran a few Guildhests, leveled my Gladiator sub-class from 4-9, knocked out a couple of the main story missions, tracked down all but one monster on my level 3 MDR hunting log, and scouted a bunch of new areas and ran their FATE's. There's always a carrot moving you forward, whether you log on for 30 minutes or 3 hours.

Probably won't get much time tomorrow, but my goal for the Sunday gaming block is two things: get through the Haake Mansion dungeon (level 30) and unlock the Warrior class (I need a 30 MDR and 15 GLA, and I'm currently at 30 MDR and 9 GLD)

Warrior. I'm finding that I'm not a huge fan of grinding out the secondary class levels, so getting a Gladiator up to 30 without having any actual quests to do (outside of Leves) isn't terribly appealing. I'll probably get enough levels to unlock Warrior and continue to either level that or just continue with my MDR. I'm hearing PLD is better for the endgame, but since I probably won't be doing much of the high level grouped content, it's not that big of a deal.

Is there a consensus on the best crafting class? I'm leaning towards armor smith (since it makes what I need), but maybe there's a better option...

I unlocked White Mage the other day, which felt good, though that was probably because I wasn't digging Arcanist too much and was glad to get to level 15 on it so I could go do the job quest. I have been burned out on MMOs for a long time, but for some reason this one has really gotten my interest. GW2 couldn't even do that and I think I got uninterested in it at level 30-something. I did take a character to 50 in TOR, though. THis game doesn't really do anything innovative and yet I am loving to play it. I think much of it is the story in it, which is probably why I was willing to play TOR to 50. I also like that with one character I can technically experience all the classes and jobs in the game as I only ever make one character in these things.

Probably my last night on FF14 for some time with GTA5 coming tomorrow night

I have not done too bad

GLA/PLD-37I was doing quite good with this,until i tried to do The Sunken Temple of Qarn dungeon,and i was unable to keep the attention of the stone bad guy in there(i tried Flash.Provoke,Shield Lob and my main kickass attacks,Rage of Halon being one of them,,,and nothing),and this angered someone else who suggested i look up how to be a tank next time,and we all had to quit the dungeon because time ran out

LNC-7Not very fond of this,took this up after above episode,but didn't get that far

ARC-11Got stuck on a mission to kill some deer type creatures who had gone bonkers,and never went back to it

THM-12Slow on attack IMO,and not sure about all that ice/fire swapping,its annoying having your spell interrupted when needing to move because of their big attacks,there is surecast,but its kind of a pain to remember to cast that,or even want to cast it when its small fry you are fighting

ACN-15Quite liked this one,as you get a pet dog to do all your stuff for you and be your tank in your mini party

CNJ-16I mainly got this up,so i can be Paladin with the Gladiator level 30...and my cure,protect and Raise i could have on my other characters hotbar which can come in handy

FSH-18Been enjoying being a fisher,and with it being my only job(whatever)but the grind is really starting now at lvl 18,its kind of hard to find a decent place to settle down where you can get decent XP all the time

So i still have 21 free days on my account,and although i have put in my Debit Card details,i have turned off automatic renewal....how long do they keep your characters on their database for if you don't renew each month?on FF11 it started off as 3 months but i think they stretched it to 6 months

GLA/PLD-37I was doing quite good with this,until i tried to do The Sunken Temple of Qarn dungeon,and i was unable to keep the attention of the stone bad guy in there(i tried Flash.Provoke,Shield Lob and my main kickass attacks,Rage of Halon being one of them,,,and nothing),and this angered someone else who suggested i look up how to be a tank next time,and we all had to quit the dungeon because time ran out

Ran the Haukke Manor dungeon today and had the same problem with my MDR. No matter what I did, I simply could not get aggro on a couple of the bosses...which really pissed off one of the other folks in the PUG. I'm fairly new at this whole tanking thing, and was honestly pretty stumped at what I could have done differently. Thankfully, we were still able to make it through after a couple wipes. We had one of the DPS'ers start marking targets in order of priority before we attacked, which was a huge help. I didn't even know you could do that.

It's getting to the point where I'm really dreading any time a required dungeon rolls around. I don't have 1/10 the experience that most folks do, and when you get to the higher level dungeons, people expect you to know exactly what you're doing. The group I was with kept asking me why I wasn't using macros for this or that, and I wouldn't even know where to start with that stuff. It simply hasn't been needed for 99% of my solo play, but people get pissed when you're not entirely up to speed on the other 1% that is required grouping.

It's getting to the point where I'm really dreading any time a required dungeon rolls around. I don't have 1/10 the experience that most folks do, and when you get to the higher level dungeons, people expect you to know exactly what you're doing. The group I was with kept asking me why I wasn't using macros for this or that, and I wouldn't even know where to start with that stuff. It simply hasn't been needed for 99% of my solo play, but people get pissed when you're not entirely up to speed on the other 1% that is required grouping.

that's my worry too. it's not like I'm going to Google a dungeon before I go in.

Logged

Because I can,also because I don't care what you want.XBL: OriginalCeeKayWii U: CeeKay

It's getting to the point where I'm really dreading any time a required dungeon rolls around. I don't have 1/10 the experience that most folks do, and when you get to the higher level dungeons, people expect you to know exactly what you're doing. The group I was with kept asking me why I wasn't using macros for this or that, and I wouldn't even know where to start with that stuff. It simply hasn't been needed for 99% of my solo play, but people get pissed when you're not entirely up to speed on the other 1% that is required grouping.

that's my worry too. it's not like I'm going to Google a dungeon before I go in.

Well, that just might be the straw that broke the Camel's back for me. Sure, I'm at low levels still, but the game hasn't grabbed me like other major releases have in the past. And knowing that the elitist snobs are out in all their glory in this one, turns me off completely. Its what I answer people when that ask why I don't grop up much. I hate it. You can almost hear all the group members at their desks, tsk, tsk, tsk'ing.

It's getting to the point where I'm really dreading any time a required dungeon rolls around. I don't have 1/10 the experience that most folks do, and when you get to the higher level dungeons, people expect you to know exactly what you're doing. The group I was with kept asking me why I wasn't using macros for this or that, and I wouldn't even know where to start with that stuff. It simply hasn't been needed for 99% of my solo play, but people get pissed when you're not entirely up to speed on the other 1% that is required grouping.

that's my worry too. it's not like I'm going to Google a dungeon before I go in.

Well, that just might be the straw that broke the Camel's back for me. Sure, I'm at low levels still, but the game hasn't grabbed me like other major releases have in the past. And knowing that the elitist snobs are out in all their glory in this one, turns me off completely. Its what I answer people when that ask why I don't grop up much. I hate it. You can almost hear all the group members at their desks, tsk, tsk, tsk'ing.

But anyway, I only needed a little shove to walk out the door.

Thanks for the shove.

You're welcome, I guess.

I should reiterate that I think 99% of the game is absolutely fantastic, and it's likely to end up as my personal all-time favorite MMO. It's just the occasional forced group instance that kinda sucks. Even then, the dungeons themselves are actually quite fun...I've just had bad luck with PUGs.

It's getting to the point where I'm really dreading any time a required dungeon rolls around. I don't have 1/10 the experience that most folks do, and when you get to the higher level dungeons, people expect you to know exactly what you're doing. The group I was with kept asking me why I wasn't using macros for this or that, and I wouldn't even know where to start with that stuff. It simply hasn't been needed for 99% of my solo play, but people get pissed when you're not entirely up to speed on the other 1% that is required grouping.

that's my worry too. it's not like I'm going to Google a dungeon before I go in.

Why not? Even as dps I look up the dungeon the first time I run it. It's not like you ever need to do it more than once per dungeon and it makes everything go smoother, faster and with less wipes. Also keeps me from looking like an idiot when I wipe doing something stupid that I could have easily avoided.

Also don't understand the tank angst...you have instant queues. Honestly if you get a group of assholes or jerks who pull for you or wipe on trash then leave and get a new group. It's a lot different as dps when I've waited 40-45 minutes just to get in and if I leave then it's another 40-45 mins. Personally I'd love for the tank to say he's new and to have some patience vs some of the tanks I get that do the wrong thing over and over and over and refuse to learn.

I don't fully understand the tanking in this game. I used to tank high end raids in EQ2 where skill and positioning was super important. In this game (so far) you only have so many skills that draw aggro, and they're on timers. So short of just spamming those as soon as they pop I don't know what else you can do.

I think some of the so-called "tank mistakes" are really over-zealous DPS generating threat faster than the tank can handle. Good groups require DPS who know how to pace themselves.

I don't fully understand the tanking in this game. I used to tank high end raids in EQ2 where skill and positioning was super important. In this game (so far) you only have so many skills that draw aggro, and they're on timers. So short of just spamming those as soon as they pop I don't know what else you can do.

Whew, it's not entirely me being an stupid MMO noob. In the Haukke Manor, I ended up chasing a couple bosses all over the place trying to draw aggro, and nothing I did seemed to get their attention.

Is there a consensus on the best crafting class? I'm leaning towards armor smith (since it makes what I need), but maybe there's a better option...

I spent the weekend mostly messing with gathering and crafting and IMHO there aren't a lot of options for crafting, if your going to craft you need pretty much EVERYTHING. Goldsmith, leatherworker, weaver, blacksmith and carpenter are all interdependent and you need all the gathering skills as well. For instance Weaving requires, cloth from Botany, various leathers from Leather working, metals from Goldsmith and Blacksmith which requires ores from Mining and occasionally lumber from Carpentry (Botany) oh and from time to time you need oils from alchemy some of which are made with fish (Fishing class). Now of course you can try and stick with a single crafting class and purchase the various parts from the supply vendors but those cut off around tier 3 or 4 so then you can go to other crafters for stuff like Iron ingots which currently sell for 150 gil per unit on the AH or Elm lumber at 150 some resources as high as 300. I went through about 200 pieces of Brass this weekend and none of my crafting is over level 18 so the AH route is going to take an investment of 100's of thousands of gil to get a class to 50.

Honestly the crafting in FF reminds me of EQ2's initial crafting mechanics which were a nightmare in 2004 and still are today. I understand Squares idea of various crafting classes being dependent on one another but unfortunately at the moment it's all about making as much money as everyone can. If the economy flattens out it might work better.

Harvesting again IMHO needs a real rework too. Having to keep switching between adventuring class and harvesting class is a serious pain in the butt. I like crafting, I do it in most MMO's I play and I know it can be time consuming and requires effort and resource gathering but I like being able to harvest as I move from mob to mob or simply run around for an hour or two and collect everything ala EQ2. Running in a small box between 4 nodes for 3 or 4 hours feels just a tad too grindy for me. You can't even see the nodes if your not in your gathering class or dedicate a cross-class skill. Higher level nodes also tend to be smack in the middle of mob spawns and you cannot fight in gathering mode. They give you a stealth ability which definitely works but you move super super slow.

Both crafting and gathering also work off a dice roll. Success for certain actions depend on percentages based on level. Ignore these numbers they are just for show. I have sat and ticked off hundreds of crafting/gathering actions and while given a large enough (huge) sample statistically the numbers may be good but in real terms they suck. Anything below 50% is more like 25%, below 90% is closer to 50-60%, 95% and above feel right.

So my take on crafting is either monumental allocation of time raising 4 or 5 crafting classes leaving little time for adventuring classes or a humongous in game money sink (more than I can currently afford) until the market equalizes. I have heard around level 35 crafting becomes profitable enough to somewhat support itself but that is still a significant climb.

On the positive side you can use levemetes to level both gathering and crafting and if done right can net a significant xp gain.

I am still going to plug away at crafting for at least another weekend or two (Im a masochist at times) to see if it coalesces a little better past the initial levels.

I've been playing around with crafting in my down time waiting for dungeons. I have leveld all of them to at least 15 now because they do use items from each so it is cheaper in the long run. I find using my leves and handing things in to my GC is the best way to save money and to level faster. Just sitting there crafting the same thing over and over is a big money sink as leveling a craft is the same as leveling a class (exp wise). So around level 30 you are looking at close to 200k exp needed to level. It would get very expensive if you just made the same thing over and over. With leves at least you get some gil back as well as a massive exp boost if you hand in HQ items.

One thing I thought about Gratch is using cross-class skills from the Gladiator to add more threat generators to the Marauder class. I'm leveling up the Gladiator now and already have 2-3 threat generators, one of which is a true "taunt." In the early going, it seems to be the far better tank class. I don't think people understand how few threat generators the Marauder class actually has on its own.

I should make Warrior tonight, so I don't know how that will change my strategy. But I think combining taunts from MA/GL is probably the way to go for these dungeons.